“You don’t know whether you can do it or you don’t know whether you want to?” he countered. “Because the second I understand, but the first is bullshit.” His head dipped as he pressed a tender kiss to her temple. “I see you with your family, Livvy. Somehow you’ve convinced yourself you’re a lone wolf, but I’ve never known anyone less wolflike. You have so much love to give, so much warmth. Around your family, you’re more like a... penguin.”
Laughter burst out of her. “Fair to say that’s the first time I’ve been called that.”
“Yeah, I was trying to think of an animal with strong family bonds.” He gave her an adorably sheepish smile. “Probably should have said a lioness or maybe a dolphin, but you get my point. If you don’t want kids, that’s fine, but don’t for one minute think you wouldn’t make the most incredible mum.” As she let those words settle, he carried on smashing a verbal ax through the things she thought she knew about herself. “As for Ellie, she already thinks the sun shines out of your arse.” He smirked. “Were you not there when she talked nonstop to you about horses on the way back?”
“I got lucky. I loved horses as a child and I had riding lessons.”
He waved a dismissive hand. “If it hadn’t been horses, you’d have found another subject you had in common. You talk to her like you do to Mia—you treat them as people and not dumb kids. They respond to that.” His gaze rested on hers for a beat before it dipped lower, to her mouth. A moment later, his hands slid to her hips and he eased her further over his lap so she straddled him. “Now, if we’re done talking about kids, I’ve got a suggestion for what we can do instead.”
The erection pulsing hard and hot beneath her made it perfectly clear the direction his thoughts had taken. “Ellie...” Olivia said.
“Is fast asleep. I’ll check on her again just to make sure, but once she’s out, she doesn’t wake until about seven.” The eyes that lifted to hers were heavy-lidded, the blue a dark navy. “We’ve got all night, Livvy.”
Lust washed through her lower belly, pushing aside her worries. They were for another day. “Then we should use it wisely.”
He slipped his hands beneath her blouse, palms burning through her skin, his hips pushing up to deliver a perfect pressure against her core. “You’re the wise one.” Another thrust of his hips. “Tell me what you want first.”
Her breath hitched as vivid blue eyes, blazing with arousal, stared at her as if nothing else in that moment mattered but her pleasure. “Your mouth on mine.”
His mouth swooped, tender for a few beats, lips soft, but in a flash he turned desperate, feasting on her, his tongue moving with the same restless rhythm as the hips that pushed up against her heat, hands sliding up to her breasts and finding her nipples, rubbing, pinching, sending a zing of arousal between her legs. “Can’t wait,” he breathed. “Need to have you now.”
She could only moan her assent, her nerve endings on fire, mind full of nothing but him and the need to get closer, to have him inside her.
Letting out a guttural groan, he shifted his hands under her bum and lurched to his feet. Automatically her legs wrapped tightly around his thighs as he walked them through to the kitchen, closed the door with his foot, and pushed her up against it.
“Need these off.” He fumbled with the side zipper of her trousers, the fun, easy calm vanished, replaced with a need that was fierce and messy.
With her help, they removed the clothes from her lower half before fighting with his belt.
“Maybe next time wear joggers,” she complained.
He grunted. “Forward planning. Never been my strong suit.”
Finally she freed him, and he shoved at his jeans and boxers, lifted her again, and pressed her against the door. “Damn. Condom.” He grimaced.
“I’m on the pill, but—”
“You want to make absolutely sure you don’t get pregnant,” he finished for her.
“Yes.” Was the weight in his voice, the tightness in his expression, due to frustration or disappointment? “I wasn’t kidding, Connor. I don’t want a baby.”
He stared back at her, and this time his frustration was clear. “I wasn’t kidding either. I have a daughter. All I want from you isyou.”
Yet as he snatched his wallet from the kitchen table, ripped the condom packet open, and secured it in quick, sure movements, the niggling worry remained. Would his need for more children, like her need to work, one day drive a wedge between them?
On Sunday they had a picnic lunch. When he’d planned it, Connor had thought it would bring back memories of Nantucket. Sure, Richmond Park in Autumn wasn’t quite Siasconset Beach, but the sun was out, they were wrapped up warm and Ellie loved eating outside.
“I forgot the mini quiches. And the wings. Damn, and the sausage rolls.” In other words, all the hot food he’d made this morning. He’d been distracted uploading photos of all of it onto his Instagram account, which had experienced a satisfying surge in followers since Nantucket. Soon he’d be able to make money out of it. “Maybe I should go home and get them.” Only it would take half an hour at least.
“Stop being stressy, Dad. Livvy can have some of my sandwiches.”
Jesus. He watched, part proud, part horrified, as Ellie handed a peanut butter and jam sandwich to Olivia.
“That’s sweet of you.” Olivia smiled her thanks, then proceeded to eat it as if it were a perfectly normal thing for her to have for lunch.
His confidence shriveled. How was he supposed to convince this woman to fall for him when he couldn’t organize a blasted picnic?
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled a few minutes later as they watched Ellie run toward the wooden climbing frame.
